Jasmine M🖤

I sigh as I open my current obsession. The book about a girl who falls in love with the wrong man.

I gaze out of the window to my left and smile at the sunshine bathing the wisteria cascading from the flower box.

I know if I come back to the coast I wont go on a solo adventure to check out an old lighthouse. Note to self, never take the set of stairs going down in a lighthouse.

I hear his footsteps. The Keeper is coming.

He has brought me one meal, everyday, for 36 days. The Keeper hums while I eat.

Today he has a sandwich…but no plate?

That’s different. There’s usually a…

What is he doing? Hes squishing the sandwich through the bars of my tiny cell. Meats and cheeses plop to the ground. Mayo oozes down the rails. The bread is soggy and jagged now.

A man. A sickly pale man walking around behind the grocery store with a cat hanging from his mouth.

It was around 11pm and I had to run to the store to get a few things for a dessert I was in charge of for my family’s Memorial Day celebration. I parked in a spot near the auto and tire section around the side. That entrance is usually less busy especially at night.

As I went to grab the door handle to leave my car I noticed movement behind the store. Slowly, so slowly, a figure began to take shape. That’s a creepy dude, I thought to myself. He was crouched with his back to me but started to get up when my car pulled up. As he stood I realized he was tall, slender, and hairless. The floodlight attached to the corner of the store showed a man in fitted black pants and a muddy white shirt with no hair. His skin had a sheen to it in the light, like a snakes scales that glisten as it slithers along.

He quickly turned his face to the side to peer at my car. I jumped in my seat. I had been stunned into stillness up till then. From his mouth hung a limp shadow that I later realized was a cat. He had been eating it raw.

I felt light headed and covered my mouth to keep in my shriek. My senses rushed back to me when I realized he had turned to face me. The cat hanging between his lips. I started my car with shakey hands and sped away.

6am breakfast while I read about plane crashes, tariffs, and Grammy nominees

7:30am leave to take my son to school

8am work…try to work…

9am get a notification that ICE is in the next town over

9:05am first meeting of the day. Forgot to take notes.

10:30 take a break to walk….overwhelmed with anxiety

10:45 work…try to work…try to focus

Noon: lunch and see video of conservative loyalists advocating for separation of families and call immigrants scum

1pm stare at screen…..

1:10 zone out on internet videos

2:30pm try to focus on anything…clean my office?

3:30 meeting…about..?

4:30 hyperventilation turns into coughing fit

5pm leave to get my child from daycare

6pm cry in the bathroom

6:10 make dinner

7:30 BABYS bath and bed time

8:30 ….numbly stare at the ceiling

Red bangs and frizz

The tater who might be in love with your best friend

Excel in energetic displays of excellence

Give it a try

The choir boy who needs extra love

Remove the carbs

Pretend friends who bend your rules

Give it a try

Kinky alcohol and whole pizzas

Driving over hills until your stomach drops

Dressing like a movie character for the plot

Give it a try

Dye your hair purple, smoke the weed, break up.